Beverage lid with built-in stirrer

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for stirring the contents of a beverage cup without removing the lid. The lid of the cup is equipped with a rotating disk. A shaft having a finger tab at its top and a paddle device at its bottom traverses the disk in an offset position relative to the center of the disk. When the disk is rotated by the shaft, the paddle is dragged through the beverage, thus stirring the beverage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional application No. 62/482,894 filed by Bob Cunningham entitledBeverage Lid With a Built-in Stirrer on Apr. 7, 2017.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In earlier, more leisurely times, the consumption of beverages was mostoften done in a structured, more formal setting. Whether sitting at adining table drinking tea from a goblet or sitting on a freshly cutstump in the forest drinking coffee from a thermos lid, the beverage wasusually the center of the activity. In most cases, except perhaps forholding a conversation, you did little else but drink your beverage. Asbeverage consumption became more popular, time became more valuable, andlife became more hectic, the need for a lid to prevent the spilling ofthe beverage became necessary. Perhaps the best example of thissituation is the consumption of beverages while driving an automobile.It is a simple enough proposition: fill your cup, snap on your lid withdrinking hole, and enjoy your beverage while doing other complicatedtasks. There is, however, one remaining complication: a problem that issolved by the present invention. In many beverages, in order to achievethe maximum enjoyment, certain condiments such as cream or sugar must beadded. Until now, this required the removal of the lid and theemployment of some kind of stirring tool. As the beverage is sloshedabout and the stirrer is disposed of, spills may occur. This is acommon, persistent problem that is solved by the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Until the present invention, there were no practical designs forbeverage lids with built-in stirrers. Lids are simply made to a specificsize in order to accommodate rigidly affixing them to a specific cup orcontainer. Often holes for straws or apertures for drinking through areincluded, but no means for stirring are provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explosion view of the beverage lid with built-in stirrer.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the beverage lid with built-in stirrer.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the beverage lid with built-instirrer.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the beverage lid with built-instirrer.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the beverage lid with built-instirrer.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the beverage lid with built-instirrer.

FIG. 7 is a cutaway view showing the engagement of the inner rotaryplate and the medially positioned opening.

FIG. 8 is an elevation view of the beverage lid with built-in stirrerwith a product diffuser employed as the stirrer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings and more specifically to FIG. 1, it can beseen that the beverage lid with built-in stirrer 1 comprises a lidmember 2 and a mixing assembly 3. Mixing assembly 3 further comprises afinger tab 4, a shaft 5, and a stirring paddle 6. Finger tab 4 isaffixed to the top of shaft 5. The bottom of shaft 5 is removable,affixed to stirring paddle 6 by way of male threads 7 and female threads8. This is one option; however, there are any number of methods by whichstirring paddle 6 may be rigidly affixed to shaft 5. Finger tab 4 isgenerally in the shape of a half disk, with grip lines embedded therein.Finger tab 4 could be any number of shapes and other methods of designmay be employed in order to improve grip. As seen in FIG. 7, the lidmember 2 also comprises a top plate 13. Top plate 13 further comprises acircular, medially positioned opening 9 and an inner rotary plate 10designed to be rotationally fitted within the medially positionedopening 9.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7, it can be seen that inner rotary plate 10,which is generally a flat, round disk, is fitted into mediallypositioned opening 9 by way of a slotted rim 11. Inner rotary plate 10may be snapped in and out of medially positioned opening 9 for cleaningand adding of condiments.

Referring again to FIG. 1, it can be seen that inner rotary plate 10 isalso equipped with an opening 12. Opening 12 is located near the slottedrim 11 and is therefore off center with regard to inner rotating plate10. Shaft 5 extends downward through opening 12 in inner rotary plate 10and is affixed to stirring paddle 6. An aperture 15 for drinking fromthe cup with the beverage lid with built-in stirrer affixed to the cupis provided near the cup's rim across from the inner rotating disk 10.

Referring to FIG. 8, it can be seen that a product diffuser 14 isemployed as the stirring paddle. The product diffuser 14 comprises apouch in which condiments, sweeteners, flavoring agents and the like maybe placed. The walls of the product diffuser are perforated so that thecontents of the product diffuser will be gradually infused into thecontents of the cup as the contents of the cup are stirred. In order touse the beverage lid with built-in stirrer, after the desired condimentsare added and the lid is affixed to the beverage cup, the user takesfinger tab 4 between his or her thumb and index finger and appliesrotational force in either direction so that the inner rotary plate 10will be moved rotationally within medially positioned opening 9. Shaft 5rotates within opening 12 as the rotational force is applied, causingshaft 5 to travel in a circular motion within medially positionedopening 9. Stirring paddle 6, being affixed to the bottom end of shaft5, is dragged along in a circular motion within the beverage, thusstirring the condiments evenly within the beverage. Medially positionedopening 9 is suitably sized and offset from the center of lid member 2so as not to interfere with drinking aperture 15 or other such featureswhile the beverage is being stirred.

I claim:
 1. a device for stirring a beverage within a sealed beveragecontainer comprising, A means for sealing said container, said meansfurther comprising a lid member, said lid member further comprising atop plate, said top plate being generally flat and affixed to saidcontainer by said lid member, said lid member further comprising adrinking aperture, said top plate further comprising a circular,medially positioned opening, said medially positioned opening having anedge, B means for stirring said beverage, and C means for mounting saidmeans for stirring said beverage to said top plate of said lid member.2. a device as described in claim 1, wherein said means for stirringsaid beverage further comprises a finger grip member, a shaft, saidshaft having a top end and a bottom end, a stirring member, and acircular rotary plate, said circular rotary plate being rotationallyfixed within said circular, medially positioned opening, said circularrotating plate having an outer edge, said circular rotary plate furthercomprising a shaft opening, said shaft opening being located near saidouter edge of said circular rotating plate, said shaft traversing saidshaft opening, said bottom end of said shaft being rigidly affixed tosaid stirring member said top end of said shaft being affixed to saidfinger grip member.
 3. a device as described in claim 2, wherein saidmeans for mounting said means for stirring said beverage to said topplate of said lid member comprises a slotted rim, said slotted rim beingformed into said outer edge of said circular rotating plate, said outeredge being suitably larger in circumference than said circular mediallypositioned opening, said edge of said circular medially positionedopening being snapped into said slotted edge of said circular rotatingplate.
 4. a device as described in claim 3, wherein said bottom end ofsaid shaft and said stirring member are equipped with complementarythreads, said shaft being rigidly affixed to said stirring member by theengagement of said threads.
 5. a device as described in claim 4, whereinsaid stirring member further comprises a paddle.
 6. a device asdescribed in claim 4, wherein said stirring member comprises acontainer, said container having outer walls, said outer walls having aplurality of perforations through which contents of said container maybe diffused.
 7. a device as described in claim 4, wherein said top endof said shaft is rotationally affixed to said finger grip member.